NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that his push for an adjustment to the one-and-done rule that would force prospects to wait until at least two years after completing high school to enter the draft is a "growing issue but one that is considered minor when dealing with the players’ union," according to Gary Washburn of the BOSTON GLOBE. The one-and-done rule "is not going to derail a new labor agreement." Silver: "From the league’s standpoint, our stance remains the same. We’d rather these young men spend two years out of high school rather than one, which is our current rule, before entering the NBA." He added, "I’m making a business decision for the NBA, which is to the betterment of the league and the roughly 430 jobs we have in this league. We feel that these players are better off having more time developing as players before they enter into this league.” Silver noted that a lot of younger players are "dealing with serious injuries early in their careers." He said, "We’re now seeing the type of injuries in young players that we used to see when they were much older. I think there needs to be more of a holistic response to this. It isn’t just about whether the minimum age should be 19 versus 20. I think, as I’ve said before, we need to get together with the larger basketball community and talk about the number of games these young players, boys, are playing, beginning 12, 13, 14, often eight games in a weekend at tournaments" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/27).
BUCKING THE TREND: In Detroit, Drew Sharp notes there "could be as many as 10 seniors among the 20 starters Saturday night at NRG Stadium in Houston" during the Final Four, and there will "only be two freshmen starters." This is a "more singular moment than revolutionary movement," but it is "refreshing that this Final Four accurately reflects an overall college basketball season that contradicted convention." There were "six freshmen starters in last year’s Final Four just between Duke and Kentucky." All six were "selected in the first round of last year’s NBA draft." The lack of dynamic freshmen in this year's tournament "didn’t diminish the game’s overall star power as many feared." Seniors "proved they’re more than capable of shining when the mood strikes" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 3/28).
